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IKALUKTUTIAK/CAMBRIDGE BAY - Out on the land and in the community, a dozen youths learned ways to stay physically and emotionally healthy during the Makimautiksat Youth Wellness and Empowerment Camp in Cambridge Bay.

Makimautiksat Youth Wellness and Empowerment Camp graduates Puglik Tuktimak, back left, Kaz Nahogaloak, Kassidy Koaha-Laube, Pearlie Mae Howard and Deborah Koblogina, front left, Kavyak Aitauk, Jarrett Miyok, Paulik (Alice) Evetalegak, Robert Komak and Owen Etegik in Cambridge Bay earlier this month. The youths participated in the 10-day camp with activities both on the land and in the community. Etegik and Tuktimak were youth mentors during the camp, meaning they helped the camp facilitators. - photo courtesy of Sarah Jancke

The 10-day camp, which started on June 30, featured group discussions, role-playing and other activities, both in the community and on the land, related to healthy personal relationships, improving coping skills, promoting healthy lifestyle choices and celebrating Inuit culture.

Ten campers and two youth mentors participated in the inaugural pilot project. Youth mentors are older campers who support the camp facilitators.

Camp facilitator Sarah Jancke said it was a "great success."

"I think we really planted a seed for them and helped them learn some of the skills they might not have had a chance to talk about," she said.

With the youths coming daily, it showed they were committed to the program and enjoyed what they were doing, she added, as they could have been out biking and enjoying the sunshine.

One of those youths was Kassidy Laube, who decided to participate as she thought it would be interesting, adding she learned a lot.

"We learned about the Inuit culture. We learned how to use our coping skills," said the 13-year-old.

Fellow camper Kavyak Aitauk, also 13, said she made a screen and qamutiik during the land portion of the camp.

"I learned about respecting others and to respect other people's personal space," she said. "We all had fun and made harpoons and we learned a lot about co-operation."

The camp is part of research undertaken by the Qaujigiartiit Health Research Centre in Iqaluit, which received four-year funding from the Public Health Agency of Canada.

Jennifer Noah of Qaujigiartiit said she developed the camp following extensive research and consultation to ensure it met the needs of the youth. Youth mentors and facilitators had positive comments about the camp during the verbal debriefing, she added.

After 10 days, Jancke said the camp had made a "huge difference" in the participants' lives.

"You could see the light bulbs going off in their heads and you could see their minds widening as the program went on," she said. "Seeing their big confident smiles at the end, it really showed the amount of growth and the amount of learning these students did."

Qaujigiartiit will pilot the camp in six communities over three years, said Noah, and each camp will be evaluated and if necessary, adapted.

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